The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story

There lived once in a certain forest a lion, named Madotkaṭa, and he had three followers, a panther, a crow, and a jackal. That lion once saw a camel, that had escaped from a caravan, entering his wood, a creature he was not familiar with before, of ridiculous appearance. That king of beasts said in astonishment, “What is this creature?” And the crow, who knew when it behoved him to speak,15 said, “It is a camel.” Then the lion, out of curiosity, had the camel summoned, and giving him a promise of protection, he made him his courtier, and placed him about his person.

One day the lion was wounded in a fight with an elephant, and being out of health, made many fasts, though surrounded by those attendants who were in good health. Then the lion, being exhausted, roamed about in search of food, but not finding any, secretly asked all his courtiers, except the camel, what was to be done. They said to him:—“Your Highness, we must give advice which is seasonable in our present calamity. What friendship can you have with a camel, and why do you not eat him? He is a grass-eating animal, and therefore meant to be devoured by us flesh-eaters. And why should not one be sacrificed to supply food to many? If your Highness should object, on the ground that you cannot slay one to whom you have granted protection, we will contrive a plot by which we shall induce the camel himself to offer you his own body.” When they had said this, the crow, by the permission of the lion, after arranging the plot, went and said to that camel: “This master of ours is overpowered with hunger, and says nothing to us, so we intend to make him well-disposed to us by offering him our bodies, and you had better do the same, in order that he may be well-disposed towards you.” When the crow said this to the camel, the simple-minded camel agreed to it, and came to the lion with the crow. Then the crow said, “King, eat me, for I am my own master.” Then the lion said, “What is the use of eating such a small creature as you?” Thereupon the jackal said—“Eat me,” and the lion rejected him in the same way.

Then the panther said “Eat me,” and yet the lion would not eat him; and at last the camel said “Eat me.” So the lion, and the crow, and his fellows entrapped him by these deceitful offers, and taking him at his word, killed him, divided him into portions, and ate him.

“In the same way some treacherous person has instigated Pingalaka against me without cause. So now destiny must decide. For it is better to be the servant of a vulture-king with swans for courtiers, than to serve a swan as king, if his courtiers be vultures, much less a king of a worse character, with such courtiers.16 “When the dishonest Damanaka heard Sanjívaka say that, he replied, “Everything is accomplished by resolution, listen—I will tell you a tale to prove this.”